Maria Rubinke‘s porcelain figurines aren’t your average decorative knick-knacks. They provide an essence of innocence shattered by inclusions of macabre- strategically placed red paint, ripping flesh, organs on display and dismemberment- all juxtaposed with the bodies of porcelain girls with passive, indifferent expressions. These delightfully creepy pieces ride a fine line between adorable and horrifying while capturing attention and leaving the viewer with a lasting impression. They take our expectations, flip them upside down, and defile them.
Maria is a graduate of the Glass and Ceramic School of Bornholm and she uses her experience and education to flawlessly execute these surreal sculptures. This work provides a shocking reminder that our world isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, that there is a darkness that lingers in unexpected places. The interconnected theme throughout Maria’s pieces is the same -underlying danger in perceived innocence and ignorance. Even the titles of these pieces give insight to their aesthetic: “I Died A Hundred Times”, “Just Because You’re Paranoid Doesn’t Mean They Aren’t After You”, “Watching the Fantasies Decay”, and “In Between With A Fading Dream”.
While some might find these pieces somewhat grotesque and unnerving, I think I speak for all of us weirdos and lovers of the beautiful and bizarre when I say that I would display these pieces proudly.
